Sunday Morning Quarterback: Pinellas County edition

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Pinellas County Super 71. Countryside (1-0): After a slow start, the Cougars score 37 straight points to beat Boca Ciega in a season opener for the fourth straight season.

2. Largo (1-0): Showing a flair for the dramatic, the Packers score the winning touchdown on the last play of regulation to beat Bradenton Southeast.

3. East Lake (1-0): Deficits do not appear to be a problem as Eagles pull out victory over CCC after trailing by 18 in first half.

4. Lakewood (1-0): Blowout win over Seminole is nice, but Spartans will have to prove they can beat a team with a winning record when district play amps up.

5. Clearwater Central Catholic (0-1): For the second straight season, Marauders can’t hold onto a second-half lead against East Lake.

6. Tarpon Springs (1-0): Taking advantage of an experienced offensive line, the Spongers crank up their ground game to beat upstart Dunedin.

7. St. Petersburg (1-0): After lackluster preseason performance, the Green Devils bounce back with win over neighboring rival Gibbs.

Offensive MVP
Ryan Green, St. Petersburg Catholic. The Florida State commit rushed for 196 yards on five carries against Sarasota Out-of-Door Academy. That’s 39.2 yards per carry. He scored on four of those rushes — and caught a 73-yard TD pass. It could get to the point where if Green doesn’t score it’s a disappointment.

Defensive MVP
Derrick Doss, Largo. Against Bradenton Southeast, Doss was a force, registering 12 tackles, intercepting a pass and nearly picking off another. Doss’ interception halted a drive in the second quarter and if he hadn’t stumbled he might have scored a touchdown. His performance also was a big reason the Packers held Southeast to 234 yards of offense.

Breakout player
Tarpon Springs sophomore running back Michael Ford might be a player to watch this season. He rushed for 158 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown against Dunedin in a 24-7 win.

Three thoughts for Week 2
1. East Lake running back Weston Fordham might be the next big thing for the Eagles. He rushed for 128 yards against CCC. He’ll be Countryside’s focus Friday. Let’s see how he does.

2. Admiral Farragut is going to be without starting senior quarterback Colby Robinson, but for how long? Robinson went down in the second series against Lakeland Victory Christian and is scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday. Jestin Green will fill in, but that’s a big loss for the Blue Jackets. Robinson helped lead AFA to the Class 2A championship game last season. Not having his talent, and senior leadership, will leave a void.

3. You think Dave Moore and Mike Alstott are still friends? 59-0 Shorecrest? Jeez, Moore, how many points you need? Just kidding. This really speaks to the rebuilding job Alstott has at Northside Christian. There might be a few more of these losses this season.

Five things we learned Friday night
1. It’s hard to believe Clearwater is this down. The Tornadoes were outgained by Palm Harbor University 389 yards to none. None! Hope coach-in-waiting Donnie Abraham is taking notes because there is a lot of change needed at Clearwater.

2. Lakewood receiver Rodney Adams is back a week ahead of time. Adams, who had been sidelined with a heart condition, was supposed to return next week against Blake. But he caught a 59-yard touchdown pass against Seminole.

3. East Lake at Countryside this week could be one of the best games all year. Both teams had impressive wins Friday, and if any team can stop Countryside’s regular-season win streak, it’s the Eagles.

4. This could be a special year for Largo. After a dramatic win over Bradenton Southeast, the Packers take on Pinellas Park next. Doesn’t look like many Pinellas teams can hang with them if the Packers stay healthy.

5. St. Petersburg has a dual running threat of Maurice Hemingway and Laroy “Speedy” Williams that will give opponents fits this year.

Record watch
East Lake quarterback Pete DiNovo, who entered this season with 4,030 career passing yards, is on track to break the county record of 5,736 yards set by former Gibbs standout Shaun King. We’ll track DiNovo’s yardage this season as he approaches the record.
DiNovo
Week 1: 106 yards
Career yards: 4,136 yards.